Critical Incident Stress Management CISM

Counselling as a Psychological Well-Being Strategy

Critical Incident Stress Management in the workplace is integral to the prevention of acute stress injuries. Despite the integration of debriefings and other strategies it is natural to be more impacted by certain events. This impact can result in an Acute Stress Injury. An Acute Stress Injury can be understood as a “a normal reaction to an abnormal situation”, however, this reaction causes significant distress and discomfort to the worker (as well as impacting family and friends).

Surprisingly, it is often not the more traumatic events that result in an Acute Stress Injury, but one that has a personal connection, memory, or meaning.

These are the types of concerns that are often best addressed within the privacy of individual counselling sessions.

Acute Stress Injuries are common among First Responders and other caregivers, are a natural result of work in an extreme environment.

The strategies include health routines that allow for debriefing intense experiences as well as working through individual triggers as they arise. The debriefings are integrated into the workplace as part of a systemic mental health injury prevention program.

Counselling can Become part of a Health Routine

Generally colleagues will rely on one another, but every once in a while an experience requires more time or intensity than can be easily shared with colleagues. This is also where individual counselling can become part of a health routine that is designed to address psychological well-being.

As part of these professions many workers establish a relationship with a counsellor and then book sessions as concerns arise.